monk

A monk is a man who renounces worldly life and is ordinarily a member of a monastic order or community, thereby undertaking a special commitment to study, service, asceticism, prayer, or disciplined spiritual practice. In the Buddhist tradition, fully ordained monks are called bhikkhus, those who beg alms, depending upon the laity for their food and support. In the Jain tradition, ordained monks are called sadhus or holy ones; they traditionally live in close interaction with Jain laity, depending upon them for food and sustenance. In the Hindu tradition, a sannyasi is one who renounces worldly life, but such renunciation has often been an individual matter, without a monastic community. However, the 8th or 9th-century sage Shankara is credited with organizing many sannyasis, though by no means all, into monastic orders. In the Christian tradition, there have been both individual monks (hermits) and monks who live in orders or communities following a specific rule of life, such as the Franciscans or Benedictines.